This invention relates to a combination lock particularly for suitcases, bags and the like comprising an engagement member to be fixed to one part of the article and a combination mechanism fixed to the other part of the article and provided with coupling means arranged to cooperate with said engagement member, said mechanism comprising rotatable discs for setting the combination, and a like number of stop bodies removably engaged with said discs in such a manner as to be rotated with these latter during the engagement but to enable the combination to be changed during disengagement.
Such a look is the subject of a previous patent filed in the name of the present applicant under No. 4,596,125. The construction described in the aforesaid document attains many advantages over the then known state of the art, and in particular results in a small-dimension lock of reliable operation comprising a small number of components.
This construction however cannot be adapted simply and quickly to to one or other of the two different types of closure, i.e. closure with a frontal striker superposed on the outer plate of the lock, or head-on closure with a bayonet-type striker, i.e. with this latter inserted into the top of the lock.
In addition, known commercially available locks such as that protected by the aforesaid invention still have a substantially large number of components, particularly in that part of the lock which moves the coupling means following the movement of the grip.